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Chapter 5
— “You Have the Wrong Person (4)”
The Empire of Fleta had a noble council that held influence second only to the Emperor.
The council was composed of five ducal houses: the pro-imperial Lusher House and Macmillan House, the noble faction’s Crocus House and Latje House, and the neutral Renfesto House.
These five houses held power that even the Emperor could not easily bring down.
For that reason, the Crocus Duke could not be purged alongside Gridial.
That was also why Gridial had been unable to eliminate the Lusher House, which had long been the greatest thorn in his side.
“That must be it. Since it’s an engagement with the Lusher House.”
“Yes. In particular, they’ve been gathering frequently at Duke Bellagro’s hideout.”
“They’re in a hurry, it seems.”
Kilian looked down at Zenon and the Crocus Duke with a relaxed expression.
Zenon, acting as if he were the Emperor among the noble faction, looked absurd to him.
“From tonight onward, monitor all nobles gathering at Bellagro’s hideout. If anyone who is not a noble enters, identify them.”
“As you command, my lord.”
Leoni gave a light salute in obedience.
Kilian swept his gaze across the banquet hall with an empty expression.
“Roderick?”
“Lord Welling is unconscious. He hasn’t slept at all for several days.”
“He’s weak.”
Roderick had been appointed as an administrative officer, but since he still had no aide, he was handling everything himself.
After Kilian announced his engagement to Sierra, Roderick had spent nearly three months buried in work—foreign diplomacy, internal intelligence gathering, and everything in between.
Overtime was the norm. Not a single day of rest, even on weekends.
But to Kilian—whose stamina was essentially limitless—it looked like nothing more than whining.
“…It would be best to appoint an aide quickly. Even if Lord Welling is somewhat frail, it is clearly too much to handle both administrative and assistant duties.”
Before coming to the banquet, Leoni had been briefed on Roderick’s condition and tried, in her own way, to defend him.
Roderick disliked physical work outside of his duties, so he was not particularly robust.
However, Leoni also knew that no one placed in Roderick’s position would be able to endure such an absurd workload.
“If he only wants administrative work, tell him to bring someone reliable as soon as possible.”
‘I already know you’ll reject them anyway.’
Leoni swallowed the words rising in her throat.
Kilian had already rejected his third aide candidate.
It was proper for the Emperor’s aide to be selected strictly and carefully—but Kilian’s standards were so excessive it was questionable whether he intended to appoint anyone at all.
Not only did the aide need to match his physical endurance, but they also had to possess enough martial skill to protect him.
‘It would be nice if he would just choose someone reasonable.’
In truth, Leoni was the one who wanted an aide as much as Roderick.
Whenever Roderick was bedridden or locked in his office, Leoni ended up accidentally handling both escort and administrative duties.
As those days increased, new tasks kept piling up, and it was becoming overwhelming.
“…Yes. I will relay that.”
That was her situation, but her position demanded absolute obedience.
And Leoni was not the type to complain about her lord’s orders, so she simply accepted it.
“Also.”
Kilian lowered the hand that had been resting under his chin. A faint killing intent settled over his face.
“Is there still no news on Essi Ahil?”
“We have thoroughly searched both the borders and the coasts… but no one has seen or heard of Essi Ahil since that day.”
“And you think that’s possible?”
At the rising anger in his voice, Leoni flinched and lowered her head.
“I apologize. We have assigned the investigation to one of the most famous intelligence guilds in the Eastern Continent, so we should hear something soon.”
They had already commissioned guilds within the Empire, but the only result they brought back was the obvious fact that she was not an Imperial citizen.
That was why they turned to the East Continent, known as the “Spring of Information.”
It was said that nothing could escape its reach.
But with so many guilds, one had to carefully choose only the capable ones.
“From the East, then… something will turn up.”
Kilian closed his eyes slightly, his tone softening.
For over four years, there had been no trace of Essi Ahil.
After the victory banquet, she vanished as if she had never existed at all.
When even days of searching yielded nothing, Kilian deployed Sharen—the Emperor’s personal forces.
A year of searching followed.
Kilian’s cruelty became reminiscent of the time right after his coup; wars broke out with neighboring countries almost daily.
If someone even slightly offended his sight, he would have them executed on the spot.
With as much blood as stained his clothes, the Empire’s prestige grew—but so did his reputation as a merciless war demon.
Then, after two years of chaos, he suddenly became quiet.
So quiet, in fact, that rumors spread he had gone mad.
But ironically, during those two years of rampage, Kilian had been able to organize his thoughts.
“Even if it sounds ridiculous, I want every piece of information you can find on Essi Ahil.”
The vague emotion he had once suppressed with his sword had, upon reflection, turned out to be anxiety—and desperation.
I want to find Essi Ahil.
Kilian did not deny the thought once he understood it.
And as if for the first time, he began searching for her again.
“As you command.”
At least this was better than war.
Leoni comforted herself with that thought and obeyed.
Kilian, now fully composed, looked down at the banquet hall again.
Then he noticed Sierra and Noel together—and beside them, a silver-haired woman.
She had been obscured by Noel, but now stood naturally among them.
“Who is that?”
“Pardon?”
“The silver-haired woman beside the Macmillan young duke.”
Leoni quickly located Noel.
Beside him stood Irain, just as Kilian had said.
Leoni had already been briefed on Noel’s companion—on Irain’s appearance and identity.
“Oh, I believe she is Count Chaint. She had been staying in her territory due to a long illness, but appears to have attended because of the occasion.”
“Count Chaint?”
As Kilian studied her suspiciously, Irain, who had been scanning the hall, suddenly met his gaze.
Clear blue eyes without a single flaw.
For a moment, Kilian doubted his own vision.
At the same time, the face of a war hero from four years ago flashed through his mind.
Ding—ding—ding—
Their brief eye contact ended with the tolling of a midnight temple bell.
As if it were a signal, Irain turned away and left the banquet hall.
Kilian remained motionless, the moment feeling unreal—dreamlike.
Even after she had left, he continued to recall those blue eyes in silence.
“That person… was Count Chaint?”
“Yes. Irain Etiop Chaint.”
Leoni answered quickly, though confused.
“Isn’t the Chaint House the one that had been under the Lusher House’s stewardship?”
“Yes. After Count Chaint and his wife died, the title was passed to their sick niece.”
When the Chaint couple died, Kilian had been imprisoned in the tower.
After becoming Emperor, he only knew they were related to the Lusher House, so he had paid them little attention.
“When did the current count become ill?”
“I’m not certain, but I heard she has been frail since childhood and never left her territory.”
“Frail…”
That was unlike Essi Ahil.
Her hair color was different. The prominent scar she once had was gone.
And yet, those eyes from a moment ago overlapped perfectly with Essi’s.
“Investigate her. Whether she truly has a chronic illness, when it started, and whether she has ever left her territory.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Kilian replayed that brief moment again.
Even from a distance, those eyes had been unmistakably clear.
In truth, he hadn’t even been able to see her expression—only those eyes.
What if Irain really was Essi Ahil?
There was no proof yet, only instinct whispering at him.
But he would not act on instinct alone.
Though Kilian had monstrous intuition, he was not foolish enough to rely on it blindly.
To end this endless game of hide-and-seek in his favor, he needed evidence.
Definitive proof that Irain was Essi Ahil.
Until then, the search would continue.
“Have Roderick send a letter to the Chaint House.”
Of course, he had no intention of leaving her alone until then.
“Include an imperial summons: the Emperor wishes to see Count Chaint, and she is to come to the capital in two days.”
